Osoyoos Sites

Osoyoos Desert Centre

It takes a special strength to survive in the harsh temperatures and climate of Canada’s only ‘arid’ desert environment. The Osoyoos Desert Centre, located 9-kilometres North of Osoyoos, has interactive displays describing how 100 rare plants and over 300 rare invertebrates have been able to make a home. Visitors to the centre may take a 1.5-kilometre guided boardwalk tour by arid shrublands, grasses and four interpretive kiosks. Guests who wish to participate in the centre’s early morning bird watching programs may wish to bring binoculars to better glimpse the many bird species in the area.

Anarchist Mountain Lookout

Not everyone can afford to take a plane ride, but there is a way to get an aerial view of Osoyoos. On the way to Mount Baldy, one may drive east to the Anarchist Mountain Lookout perched about 4,000 feet above sea level. From here, Osoyoos appears as a distant vision of civilization that must have been held by its Father, John Carmichael Haynes. Haynes Point Provincial Park appears as a long, mossy log floating atop Lake Osoyoos. The lake itself takes the shape of a rattlesnake winding through the valley and into the mountains. Patches of green dot the rocky landscape below, interrupted by ruggedness and the grey of a trail that slithers its way up the mountain.

Spotted Lake

It’s a major tourist attraction today, but Spotted Lake has always been a place of healing for the area’s First Nations. Aching, painful muscles are no match for the healing power of Spotted Lake’s mud and waters. When driving west of Osoyoos in the Summer, one can view the lake’s white-ringed spots that appear when water evaporates and crystallizes. Unfortunately, hikers and bikers who are sore from the day’s activities are not permitted to use this private lake to ease their sorrows. At best, Spotted Lake serves as a reminder to visitors about the physical toll that making a life in the desert has had on previous generations.

Desert Model Railroad

Before stopping at the Osoyoos Desert Centre and Spotted Lake, the Desert Model Railroad northwest of Osoyoos is worth exploring. This attraction is a miniature re-enactment of Europe that includes 20 computer-controlled trains chugging through European-style landscape and towns. More than 1200 houses and over 9000 hand-painted little people make up this miniature fantasy-world that is a great place to bring the family. An on-site gift shop sells a selection of hand-painted wooden accessories and souvenirs such as fridge magnets and t-shirts.

Market on Main

The soil may be dry, but Osoyoos’ desert terrain is ripe with fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and other products. Every Saturday morning from mid-May until after Labour Day, the Market on Main displays the desert’s full bounty of locally-grown and made fresh produce, baked goods as well as arts and crafts. The market’s location at the Town Hall Square makes it ideal for Haynes Point Provincial Park campers who must stock up on supplies. Visitors will find it hard to resist purchasing paintings, pottery and ceramics; it may prove a bigger challenge when attempting to pack at the hotel. The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre is also a worthwhile attraction at which to hunt for arts, crafts and other Osoyoos treasures.

The Ghost Town of Molson

There’s an advantage to being a border town, and one is the Molson museum that is only 5-kilometres South of Osoyoos in Washington State, USA. The bank, law office, store and other buildings of this early 20th Century mining town remain standing. Now a ghost town, only one building still stands where it was first built: a farmer claimed the original town site’s land in 1909 and forced it to relocate. Two separate fires destroyed the town’s two hotels, but one may still visit the old brick schoolhouse for some fresh homemade pastries and hot brewed coffee.

Fruit on the Go

Attending the Annual Cherry Fiesta festival isn’t the only way to celebrate Osoyoos’ early fruit harvest: fresh fruit and vegetable stands dot Highway 97. Cherries, peaches, plums, and other fruits and vegetables can be picked up en route to the Osoyoos Lake Oxbows, the beach at Cottonwood Park or the Osoyoos Skateboard Park. Locally-made fruits and vegetables also end-up in meals prepared at Osoyoos’ restaurants and the breakfasts served at area hotels, motels and resorts. Orchard tours provide visitors with an opportunity to learn what it takes for fruit and vegetables to survive life in the desert.